At our July Vestry Meeting, the Vestry voted in favor of beginning the next phase of our transformation by hiring a consultant recommended to us by the Bishop and his staff. 

Courtney Reid introduced us to Cary Johnson, an architect and member of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, who presented us with a possible way forward. The model we'll be following, which may be familiar to some of you, is the "Define--Design--Deliver" model, and Cary will be assisting us with the "Define" stage.

This is an important thing to keep in mind: We are not yet designing our renovated/re-purposed space. We are only beginning to define the needs of our congregation (and the community of Lakeview). This first step is meant to put us in a position to approach and architect with the words "This is what we need and have the resources to accomplish." Cary is excited to help us with this stage of the program. 

The next step, then, is to begin holding and attending focus groups with Cary. More details about these will be coming soon. If you would like to keep up to date directly with the focus groups, please sign up here. You'll also find a chance to help us explore the possibilities of the program year ahead (beginning in September). 

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me (Father Shane, rector@stpeterschicago.com) at any time. I'd look forward to hearing your thoughts and answering any questions I can.